If You're Standing There
by Sarcasm is my element
Summary: This lines up with the song "Perfect for You" from the musical Next to Normal. It's mostly fluff this time around! Enjoy!


Smoke fills the air lightly as Gilbert takes another hit off the joint. He's sitting on the bed, book bag discarded on the floor beside it. Matthew looks at the book bag and then back at Gilbert, standing in front of the door still.

"So this is how you study?" He asks, gesturing to Gilbert in general. He nods, breathing in another lungful of smoke. He attempts to blow a smoke ring while Matthew walks over to the bed. Gilbert chokes on the smoke that stays in his lungs, coughing frantically.

"This really explains a lot." Matthew quips, smiling. Gilbert flips him off, his cough slowly getting better. Matthew sits down on the bed, pulling out his history book.

Footsteps sound out from outside Gilbert's room. They stop briefly, before continuing down the hallway. Matthew looks at Gilbert, his eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

"Your mom is still here, you know that right?" Gilbert waves his hand dismissively.

"She's an enabler. She thinks that if she ignores that I'm doing it, it will go away."

Matthew stares at Gilbert in disbelief. He could never imagine living a life like that, having an normal teenage experience. Envy shoots through him as his thoughts dwell on the subject longer. Matthew focuses again as Gilbert nudges his shoulder.

"Uh, dude. You're staring," Gilbert says offering Matthew the joint. "Do you want to try?"

Matthew quickly shakes his head, gripping his text book tightly.

"I'm fine. Thank you though."

Gilbert shrugs and puts it back up to his lips, breathing in deeply. He watches Matthew as he tries to work out whether this little trip could get him in trouble. Gilbert decides to throw him a bone.

"It's completely legal, you know."

He runs his freehand down his comforter, picking at a loose string he found along the way. Matthew snorts, watching him explain why with his actions.

"Yeah, because it's 'medical' marijuana to help you with your ADD." Gilbert continues to fiddle with the string, pulling it out of the comforter as he focuses. He only notices the silence once the string is gone. He looks up and sees Matthew staring at him expectantly.

"Huh? Oh, right yeah." Gilbert mumbles, not really sure what he's agreeing to. Matthew rolls his eyes, already quiet familiar with this behavior despite the short amount of time they've been friends. Gilbert takes one last hit before putting the joint out.

"Look, don't knock it till you try it is all I'm saying." Gilberts leans down over the side of the bed, fishing around for his history book.

"I'll remember that."

Matthew smirks as he retorts, leaning closer to Gilbert, sliding his phone into his back pocket. Gilbert leans in closer to Matthew too, letting go of his book. His head tilts to the side as he tries to close the distance between them. Matthew backpedals away from him, hanging off the edge of the bed. It's a few seconds before the shock wears off and the silence leaves with it.

"Gil, I can't do this. I'm one misstep away from disaster."

"The political atmosphere of the world is a disaster. The way the environment is treated in America is a disaster. But your life? That's no where near it."

"You're high." Matthew shakes his head, rearranging himself back onto the bed fully.

"The Earth is dying because of the ways humans have been treating it for the last hundred years. Are you dying?"

"Shut up."

Gilbert raises an eyebrow, nearly certain that he would have at least gotten a yes or no answer from the blonde. Matthew crosses his arms, huffing and pouting as he answers.

"Fine, you're right. What's your next point?"

"Next point? I'm trying to confess my undying love to you." Gilbert's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. He thought Matthew was on the same page as him, but that was obviously not the case. Matthew reflected his confusion on his own face.

"What?"

Gilbert shakes his head clear before he continues his confession.

"The world is at death's door with the effects climate change and war. It's one fuck up away from disaster."

"You really are high," Matthew scoffs. "What does this have to do with love?"

"I'm getting there if you would stop interrupting." Matthew uncrosses his arms, dropping them into his lap instead.

"Ok, ok."

Gilbert takes a deep breath, turning his head away from Matthew.

"There's no way to fix all the wrong in the world," he pauses, looking back at Matthew. "But when I'm with you, it feels like there is no wrong."

Gilbert shifts closer to Matthew, his hand brushing the blonde's.

"It's perfect. Your fuckups match mine."

"Gil-" Matthew tries to interrupt, but Gilbert cuts him off, holding a hand up to stop him.

"Look, I know I may not be the ideal guy. Yeah, I might not do all my work and I might be a stoner, but this could work. I can make myself better for you."

"You don't even know the first things about my fuck ups. They never go away." Gilbert grabs Matthew's hand, looking him in they eye as he argues his side.

"I'm not trying to make them go away. I'm just trying to remind you that there's more to life than them."

Silence falls between the two. Matthew looks away, studying the cover of his history book as Gilbert's words resonate in his mind. Gilbert's heart stops in anticipation, waiting to see what the blonde would do. His grip on Matthew's hand never falters. Just when Gilbert thinks that he's about to die of expectation, Matthew squeezes his hand back, looking up at Gilbert.

"Are you sure?"

"Of what?"

"That there's more to life than this?"

A grin breaks out on Gilbert's face as he answers.

"More than I've ever been."

Matthew smiles too, leaning into Gilbert and his personal space. He decides to close the gap between them and lean in the rest of the way, kissing him. They break apart after a couple seconds, an alarm startling them apart. Matthew pulls out his phone, cursing at the message on the screen. He drops his phone on the bed, frowning.

"Shit, I have to be home soon! I'm so sorry." Gilbert squeezes his hand one last time before letting it go. Matthew grabs his discarded textbook and shoves it into his bag. He stands up, shoving his phone into his back pocket as Gilbert tears up his room looking for his keys.

"Hey, it's no problem. Let me drive you home. If I could ever find my keys."

"You don't have to do that Gil. I can walk home." Matthew shoulders his bag, waiting for Gilbert to stop. Eventually he does, taking the defeat while shrugging on his leather jacket.

"At least let me walk you home."

"It's two miles away." Gilbert grins as he slides up next to Matthew, his hand slipping into the blonde's.

"That just gives us more time to talk."

Matthew smiles back, gently squeezing the albino's hand back. Gilbert leads them out of his room and down the stairs, stopping just short of the front door.

"Mom, I'm walking Matt home. I'll be back later." He yells.

"Okay, be safe."

They walk out the door, hand in hand, and start the journey back to Matthew's house, the slight chill in the air not bothering either. As long as they have each other, their worlds are going to be perfect.


End file.
